Installing Windows 98 SE

electric · August 4th, 2005, 12:37 AM

your nic card should have included a floppy which has the drivers on it
don't relay on windows drivers

after you install windows go into device manger and remove the network
adapter there should be a noted by a yellow !

don't boot but go to desktop ,put your floppy in if you have one and
install driver

reboot windows ,windows should find new hardware

curiouslybaffled · August 4th, 2005, 08:41 AM

When I got cable first, they came with adapter and disc and installed it to 98 so that sounds like a bit of a crock, the drivers would be available from the website or if you can determine the maker of the guts. As to the networking, everything is pretty much absent from 98 but most of what you need should be in the networking app as described. If you have XP you can install the networking app from the XP disc.

stroyal · August 4th, 2005, 09:06 AM

I run win 98 find on one of my find a drug computer and have used 3 com and linksys PCI network cards with no problem what so ever. You just have to down load the right drivers.
I am presently using a 3 com ISA card wich plugged and played with no other drivers.
I have found that all 3com or Intel ISA network cards will plug and play even on win 95.
If your PSI card won't work with the right drivers it is not because of win 98 first ed.

ISA isn't supposed to be plug and play, but some network cards are.

jpeake38 · August 4th, 2005, 10:41 AM

I have a Dell 8400 series with Windows XP as a main computer. It is downstairs in the office. My son wanted the older computer in his room upstairs so he could Instant Message his friends. He also has a Playstation 2 that he does online gaming. We have DSL and just got that because we live in a rural area. I had to buy a wireless router and a wireless game adapter just so he could get the playstation online and I wouldn't have a bunch of wires running downstairs. Anyway, I was told all I had to do was buy a wireless network adapter to get the old computer online. I am not that computer illiterate but still have a lot to learn.
I stayed on the phone for 2 hours with Linksys trying to get this adapter installed. She finally got in touch with another techician who said I had to have 98 SE.
The older computer is a Compac Presario. It came with a complete restore disc. It also had a partition but someone removed that for me because I added more memory and hard drive and nothing would work. The computer has problems, but I thought it would be good enough for what he wanted to do. Just didn't know that I was going to run into so much trouble.

stroyal · August 4th, 2005, 10:51 AM

That's probably true about wireless and win98 first. I thought you had wired.

curiouslybaffled · August 4th, 2005, 11:32 AM

Try putting the XP disc in the 98 one and see if the networking stuff will help, I have used it a few times on wired 98 and it installs the stuff you need for that, it may install enough to help with that as well. Or ask jeeves about installing wireless on 98.

manifestlost · August 7th, 2005, 12:17 AM

strangely enough, i am stuck in the same predicament. i have an old desktop that im trying to get up online as a secondary computer and have been instructed that i must upgrade from windows 98 to windows 98 se. heres what i have learned...

it sounds like you and i both have the full version of windows 98 se, not an upgrade. during the installation process youve probably seen the alert that this version of windows is intended for computers without an operating system. so i believe you cant upgrade without reformatting. luckily i long since backed up and transferred anything worthwhile on the old computer so i elected to proceed with reformatting the harddrive. unfortunately this is where things beging to sour. upon loading, windows is unable to find a host of .dll files and botches the installation. anyways, thats where i get derailed. but yes, you need to reformat if you plan on installing windows 98 se and its not the upgrade. good luck, hopefully some will come my way as well.

**Martoch** · August 7th, 2005, 12:23 AM

Some FYI on performing a true Windows 98 clean install...works with either 98 or 98SE.

Clean Install Windows 98

Best way to do it! You will never be instructed to insert the Win98(se) disc when installing drivers for other hardware.

jpeake38 · August 7th, 2005, 02:40 PM

I was able to get a Windows 98 Second Edition Update CD. I installed it and all it did was update my Windows 98. I was holding my breath the entire time but everything went smoothly. Took about 30 minutes. After that I was able to install the network adapter after another phone call with a tech. I am so glad to be through with this problem. I spent way too much time dealing with it. Thanks to all for your help!